Why is H.I.I.T. such a big deal, anyway?

HIIT is huge right now. Lots of people are talking about it in the fitness industry and for good reason. Done properly, High Intensity Interval Training is a GREAT vehicle for helping you:

  • Lose body fat
  • Retain lean muscle
  • Increase strength
  • Increase endurance
  • Have fun! (this is subjective, of course)

Warning: if you decided you need to lose weight and your immediate instinct was to jump on a treadmill or hit the streets for a nice long run, you may be wasting your time!

Studies show that H.I.I.T. is far superior to “steady state” cardio (i.e. distance running) for burning fat and retaining muscle!

What exactly is High Intensity Interval Training?

H.I.I.T. is a system of training in which you alternate intervals of all-out effort with shorter periods of lower intensity effort, or rest.

For example, you might do:

  • 20 seconds of burpees, followed by 10 seconds of rest
  • 30 seconds of sprinting on a Woodway treadmill (like we have) followed by 15 seconds of slow walking

In other words, you will go “full guns” for a brief interval of time (you can’t go all-out for long intervals, which is why 20 to 30 second intervals are most commonly used) and then recover for half of the time you spent going all-out.

The high intensity (“all-out”) intervals need to be done at 80% to 90% of your capacity to be effective, and the recovery or low-intensity intervals should be done at no more than 60% to 70%.

How am I going to know if I’m going at the ideal intensity?

Great question, I’m glad I asked it!

Answer: You won’t know, unless you’re measuring!

Just because someone says you’re doing a H.I.I.T. class doesn’t mean you are! You need to know exactly what your heart rate and effort are in order to determine if you’re reaching the correct level of intensity, otherwise you may be wasting your time.

Which is why using our MyZone system is so critical for success. In order to know whether you’re bringing to proper levels of intensity and recovery to your HIIT workouts you need to be able to quantify your efforts. This is exactly what MyZone does and why we use it at our Encino and Northridge locations.

Doing H.I.I.T. without measuring your intensity is like brushing your teeth but never going to the dentist to see if it’s working!

RELATED: CHECK OUT OUR MYZONE TRAINING SYSTEM AND ITS BENEFITS

Our group training H.I.I.T. classes at Arena Fitness are 45 minutes in length, but you can get a great workout in as little as 20 minutes using this approach.

A little scientific explanation for you…

“HIIT is an acronym for high-intensity interval training. The premise is simple: intersperse bouts of high-intensity aerobic with lower intensity bouts. Studies have consistently shown that this style of training helps to stimulate the sympathetic nervous system to burn more fat as compared to steady-state exercise. Better yet, your clients achieve these superior results in less time! How cool is that?

But wait, it gets even better from a fat-burning standpoint. Not only does HIIT optimize fat burning during the exercise session, it actually keeps your clients metabolism elevated long after they’ve stopped. This is due to a phenomenon called EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption)—sometimes called the afterburn. As if you thought raised metabolism sounded sciency before.

A high EPOC level is associated with elevated metabolism and increased secretion of growth hormone and noradrenaline. These hormones help break down stores of fat and increase their use as a fuel source. In a nutshell, there is a significant caloric cost for the body to return the body to its resting state. This includes replenishing depleted energy reserves, repairing cellular damage, clearing metabolic byproducts and facilitating tissue growth. The net effect lasts as long as 72 hours after exercise, burning as many as 300 calories a day beyond resting levels. (Heden T.,2011)

The catch: you need to work out intensely to maximize EPOC. That makes HIIT a homerun when it comes to slimming down and shaping up.  It’s a fantastic metabolic conditioning tool but is quite advanced.  Make sure your client’s ready.”

(Source: https://www.theptdc.com/2011/12/metabolic-conditioning-dont-say-it-unless-you-know-what-it-is/)

So, to sum up…

If you want to burn body fat and retain lean muscle:

H.I.I.T. = AWESOME

RUNNING = LAME

P.S. Studies show that you will continue to burn more calories AFTER a workout with H.I.I.T. than with traditional cardio.

Make sure to tune in next week where I will weigh in on exactly why RUNNING IS STUPID!

But don’t forget to reach back to last week’s tip to see why, if you’re not getting ample sleep, you’re fighting a losing battle against weight loss.

Have a great week!

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